Musk has autonomy 'almost no one can control' as he oversees unprecedented overhaul of federal workforce
Musk has autonomy 'almost no one can control' as he oversees unprecedented overhaul of federal workforce
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Musk’s authority has White House officials feeling helpless and left in the dark, according to a new report. Musk, the world’s richest man, and his team at DOGE have already acquired classified documents, gained access to financial systems with sensitive personal information and conducted “aggressive incursions” into half a dozen federal agencies during the first weeks of Donald Trump’s presidency, the Times reported.
![[Employees and supporters gathered to protest outside of the USAID headquarters on Monday as Musk moved to dismantle the agency. Its one of several moves the billionaire has made to try and shrink the size of the federal government]](https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/02/03/20/35/USAid-Leaders-Put-On-Leave-After-Conflict-With-Department-Of-Government-Efficiency-Workers-i82bzg7q.jpeg)
Now, even senior White House officials tell the Times they’re being left in the dark as Musk exercises his unchecked power. Several former and current federal officials even told the outlet they’re feeling a sense of helplessness. This comes after reports emerged Monday indicating Trump isn’t closely monitoring the billionaire, entrusting him to do the “dirty work” and take the heat for their efforts to slash the federal budget and workforce.
Trump has claimed all of Musk’s actions must go through him first. “Elon can’t do and won’t do anything without our approval,” the president said Monday. “And we’ll give him the approval where appropriate, where not appropriate, we won’t.”. This weekend alone has demonstrated Musk’s wide-ranging power. Despite their efforts, Musk and his staffers ultimately gained access to the classified documents, which included intelligence reports.
Musk’s DOGE also previously commandeered the Office of Personnel Management and have moved to terminate leases for government buildings managed by the General Services Administration, the Times reports. Even the establishment of DOGE required the dismantling of another agency, with Trump ordering last month that it would take the place of the U.S. Digital Service. Meanwhile, experts are sounding the alarm.
